Chapter 969： Central Asia Railway

To be able to counterattack from a rubber stamp to become a real emperor, Emperor Meiji was not a foolish master. The army's vowed "guarantee" not only did not reassure him, but made Emperor Meiji even more unsure.

As a knowledgeable emperor, Meiji knew very well what the troops sent by European countries to overseas colonies were. Defeating a colonial army dominated by indigenous people is nothing at all.

Moreover, the protagonist of this war is not the army. The key to victory or defeat is diplomacy, followed by the Navy.

Ignoring Oyama Iwa’s guarantee, Emperor Meiji cautiously said: “There are only three months left before the Vienna Peace Conference, and we should also prepare.

Prime Minister, you will personally lead the tour this time. Do not expect Britain and Austria to support us, but at least let them remain neutral.

The rise and fall of the empire in one fell swoop..."

Ito Hirofumi's face changed. Based on his knowledge of Emperor Meiji, he could confirm that Meiji's confidence had been hit.

He was sent to Europe not only to attend the Vienna Peace Conference, but more importantly, to find a way out and prepare for the worst.

Everyone knows that attending the Vienna Peace Conference is a joke. With Japan’s current international status, it does not even have the qualifications to be on the negotiating table.

It can be seen from the content of the invitation letter that the Anti-French Alliance only invited them to participate in the warship auction meeting.

It is not yet the Japanese government’s turn to speak about the establishment of a new international order. After all the dust has settled, they can just follow it directly.

Because of the Philippine war, even this warship auction, the Japanese government can only make soy sauce.

This is not a question of money. As a member of the Anti-French Alliance, the Spaniard is also one of the sellers, and it is impossible to sell warships to their enemies in any case.

Even if it is bought, it is useless, the Spaniards will definitely find a way to pin their necks. It is impossible for warships to return to China before the end of the war.

In this context, the Vienna Peace Conference will be completely useless to the Japanese government, and there is no need for the Prime Minister to act in person.

...

St. Petersburg in January has been put on silver. Under the biting cold wind, the streets and alleys became inaccessible.

The Fick Star Cafe, which used to be crowded, is now silent. In the living room of Nuo Da, there are only six or seven people scattered.

From the demeanor and temperament of everyone, it can be seen that except for the two protagonists, the rest are bodyguards.

...

As one of the protagonists, Russian Foreign Minister Oscar Jimenez waved his hand and interrupted: "Your Excellency, these are not nutritious words, no need to repeat them.

We have never had friendship with your country, and now Austria is our ally. It is impossible to destroy the Russian-Austrian alliance by starting from our side. "

Being interrupted, Richard was not only not angry, but smiled satisfied.

It is indeed difficult for Britain and Russia to get involved in friendship. In the past 30 years or so, the two countries have fought two wars, and both sides suffered hundreds of thousands of casualties.

In contrast, the Russian-Austrian alliance, which has been maintained for decades and has almost no major conflict, can be called "friendship."

However, the problem cannot be seen on the surface. If the Russian-Austrian relationship is really close, there will not be this secret meeting in these icy days.

Richard, who is good at observing words, has discovered the problem from the conversation just now.

Of course, it is more likely that the Russians deliberately released the signal, otherwise Oscar Jimenez would not be guilty of using the word "now" to emphasize the tone.

"Your Excellency, I know that there are many misunderstandings between your country and Britain, but that's all in the past tense, and we have to look forward.

With the end of the European War, the decline of France is a foregone conclusion. If we do not take action, the new European hegemon will be Austria.

Now that your country and Austria are allies, it does not mean that they will always be allies. We must know that true allies only exist in situations of equal strength. Once the balance is broken, the situation is completely different.

Even if your country abandons the plan to advance westward, there is no guarantee that the Austrians will not advance eastward. After all, the only thing in continental Europe that can affect Austrian hegemony is your country.

Your country’s true ally is Austria 30 years ago, not the reborn Holy Roman Empire. "

In international competition, there has always been one ebb and flow. Austria has become stronger, and relatively speaking, the Russian Empire has been weakened.

The British felt the threat of Austria’s rise, and the Tsarist government felt the same. Even because the two countries are neighbors, the tsarist government feels even deeper.

For the benefit of the Russian Empire, or the Tsarist government to reassure itself, this secret meeting was held.

Only after the contact, Oscar Jimenez was very disappointed. The British are still the old-fashioned instigation, all asking the Russian Empire what to do, not what Britain wants to do.

It is not impossible to tear up the Russian-Austrian alliance, provided that the interests must be large enough. Obviously, the British, who likes the empty glove white wolf, did not offer enough price.

"Your Excellency is right, but that is only possible. The future has not yet come, and no one can predict what will happen in the end.

At least for now, the Russian-Austrian alliance is still unbreakable. We will not give up our allies because of a possibility. So if you have any purpose, just say it straight. There is no need to go around here. "

The development of the Russian-Austrian alliance has gone deep into all areas of the two countries. It does not mean that it can be lifted when it is lifted. Once the face is turned, both sides will suffer heavy losses.

In this context, even though it wanted to restrict Austria’s development, the Tsarist government restrained it and did not take any targeted actions. Instead, they pin their hopes on the enemy and expect the British to break the momentum of Austria’s development.

In this regard, Britain and Russia have similar ideas. No one wants to be the first bird at this time to jump out of Austria's hatred and let the opponent fisherman benefit.

"Your Excellency, the growth of Austria is a very serious threat to us. I believe that your country is unwilling to live in the shadow of Vienna.

In order to remove this threat, we propose that the two countries join forces to disrupt the Vienna Peace Conference, smash Austria's ambitions to establish a new international order, and return the international situation to the era of triumphant power, with the three countries jointly dominating the world. "

Oscar Jimenez shook his head: "We have felt the sincerity of your country, but it is far from enough.

Destroying the Vienna Peace Conference, the Russian-Austrian League came to an end. The price we have to pay is too great, and it may even lead to the collapse of the domestic economy.

If your country later breaches the contract, we will bear Austria’s anger alone. The risks involved are too great, and they have exceeded our capacity. "

Minister Richard promised: "High risks have high returns. As long as the gathering of Austria is interrupted, all the efforts are worthwhile.

As for your country’s loss, we can find a way to make up part of it. In short, we will not let our friends suffer. "

...

Gatchina Palace, Alexander III, who holds the conditions of Russia and Austria at the same time, is now undergoing a difficult psychological struggle.

With the conditions given by the British, as long as it survives the immediate impact, the Russian Empire may soar into the sky and replace Austria as the new European hegemon.

However, the risks are as high as the benefits are. If the operation fails, or the British breaks the contract halfway, the Russian Empire may be ruined.

Even if you don't think that the British will default on this issue, who can say anything about politics?

The London government is also held for several years. If you are unlucky and run into a silly messenger, the Russian Empire will be miserable.

It's not that this kind of thing has never happened in history. The Russian Empire itself was a victim. Without Peter III’s godly operation, the Russian Empire would have become a European hegemon, and there would not be so much trouble at all.

Of course, for Alexander III, there are still these problems. After all, Peter III did not mess around, and the position of the Tsar was not in their turn.

In contrast, the conditions given by Austria are much safer and the benefits are naturally much smaller. It is impossible for a European hegemony, and a South Asian hegemon can look forward to it.

Looking out the window, Alexander III asked: "How much does the Central Asia Railway cost? Has it been assessed?"

Minister of Finance Alisher Gulov: "The main line of the Central Asia Railway has a total length of 3,864 kilometers, and the total length of its subsidiary lines exceeds 15,600 kilometers.

It not only has to withstand the test of harsh weather, but also has to pass through a number of harsh terrains. The estimated construction period is 12 years, and the initial estimate is that it will cost 1.276 billion gold rubles. "

Railways have always been a pain in the Russian Empire. Not to mention the comparison of developed countries in Europe, even the railways of the British India next door are better than them.

It's not that the tsarist government didn't work hard, it's that its strength does not allow it! The Russian Empire is not only vast, but even more terrifying is the harsh weather.

When other countries build railways, after the exploration is completed, they come up with the design drawings and just start working.

The Russian empire can't. Their railways must be able to ensure normal operation in the ice and snow. Occasionally, there will be a big drop in temperature, and there will even be extreme weather of minus 40 or 50 degrees.

What you pay for what you pay for, the Russian Empire’s railway requirements are high, and construction costs are naturally high.

The completion of the railway is only the beginning, and the greater trouble lies in the later operation. The harsh natural climate directly increases the subsequent operation and maintenance costs, and it is simply a bottomless pit.

Foreign capital for repairs was swarmed, and there was no need to worry about funding; while the Russian Empire had to pay for railway repairs only by the government.

No way, who makes the railways of the Russian Empire lose money for many years! No one made a loss-making business, and capital refused to invest. Naturally, railway construction slowed down.

If it were not for Austria’s agitation, plus the French indemnity, we can look forward to it. The Tsarist government said nothing would start the Central Asia Railway at this time.

"Can the construction period be shortened?"

There is no requirement to reduce the construction cost, that is, Alexander III knows what the domestic bureaucracy is. If the construction cost is really reduced, no one can guarantee the smooth opening of the railway.

Similar things have not happened before. In the previous railway construction, some idiots arbitrarily compressed the gauge and the length of sleepers in order to save money.

If you want to carefully study the smoothly opened railways, they all have a common feature-budget overruns.

Simply put, it is to report a low-priced project first. When the project is halfway through, there will be no money, forcing the government to increase investment.

"If the construction is contracted to the Austrian Railway Company, the total construction period can be reduced by a quarter, and the main line can be extended to the border of Afghanistan in eight years.

However, their quotation is very high. When we provide labor, it will cost 1.886 billion gold rubles; if it is completely constructed by them, the budget is as high as 3 billion gold rubles. "

Alisher Gulov was also very helpless with such a price difference. The budgets of the domestic railway companies are indeed low, but unfortunately they have not been able to complete the project smoothly every time. Not only the construction period cannot be guaranteed, but also an additional budget.

The Austrian railway companies are indeed asking high prices, but they have guaranteed construction schedules and reliable quality, and they are all quoted once. Even if there is an increase later, the increased budget will not be too much. The final cost is lower.

If this is the case, the Tsarist government should bring in Austrian railway companies to reduce construction costs. On the contrary, almost no Austrian railway company undertakes projects in the hands of the Tsarist government.

It is not that the tsarist government is unwilling to issue contracts, but that there is no Austrian railway company willing to accept orders. The reason is very real. The czarist government is poor and payment is not guaranteed.

So much so that the construction of a railway funded by the Tsarist government has become a bargaining chip for Austria to negotiate terms, and it is still a very attractive bargaining chip.

As long as the railway is repaired to Afghanistan, the gate of the Russian Empire to India will be opened.

For such an important project, the Czarist government naturally dare not sloppy. In case the trustee is not human, the investment will be overwhelming.

The biggest benefit given to the Austrian railway company for construction is safety. Everyone knows that the Vienna government wants the Russian Empire to go south and the British will die, and it will definitely guarantee the quality of this railway.

Even if there is a problem with the midway budget, there is no need to worry about the suspension of work. The Austrians will use the fearless spirit of internationalism to fund them to complete the project.